6 Secrets to AMAZING Family Photos
in Costa Rica

1. Make it fun. Bring stuff to do

Most people don’t like being in front of the camera right off the bat. It helps to spend the first 20 or 30 minutes of the sunset playing and doing things your kids naturally love doing at the beach -- kicking a soccer ball around, flying a kite, piggy back rides, hula hooping, building sand castles...whatever. Anything to make these photos fun and NOT seem like a chore. This is a great opportunity for candid, unposed shots. Once the kids see some action shots of themselves running, jumping or in mid-air they'll start to get excited about having their portraits taken.

2. Plan around the tides

Try to plan your sunset family photos at low tide, when possible. If you’re only here for a week and tide is high at sunset -- don’t fret. Just choose a beach that is not covered by water at high tide and you’ll be good as gold.

3. Guys: Wear TWO shirts if you sweat

This is one of my favorite tricks that I learned recently from Tamarindo wedding planners Steve and Anahi. To avoid sweating profusely during your Costa Rica family photo shoot, guys can wear a t-shirt underneath their nice shirt to prevent sweat stains. The first shirt collects all of the sweat so it doesn’t bleed through and show up in your photos.

4. Girls: Dress for success

If you want to do jumping shots -- which are some of my FAVORITE shots -- be sure not to wear short skirts. Otherwise the skirt will fly up around your head and you’ll flash the camera your underwear!

5. Get the photographer on the phone

Talk to your photographer on the phone before booking a session to make sure your personalities mesh. If you don't connect with your photographer on a basic level, that person is not going to be able to take good pictures of you and your family. If you can't imagine spending an hour having a friendly coffee with your photographer, you're not going to want to spend an hour with them pointing a camera at you.

6. Make a Pinterest board

It helps to have a general idea of the types of photos you want before your Tamarindo Family Photos session. Often times this can be quite difficult to articulate. Maybe what you're going for is more of a feeling than a style. One of the best ways to communicate what you're looking for with your photographer is via a Pinterest board. Start pinning photos you love, and make note of what you love about them (The pose? The general feeling? The colors? The angle?).